This series of posts is based on a series of Wednesday night studies centering on the Baptist tradition. The first article in this series concerns the various views of Baptist origins and an overview of distinctly Baptist doctines and following articles will center on one specific doctrine mentioned below.
Origins
Perpetuity Theory: “Baptists have always existed since the time of Christ.” This view is generally associated with “Landmarkism” which asserts that the practice of believer’s baptism is definitional to a true church and thus a church that doesn’t practice the rite is therefore not a true church. But since, as Jesus said, the true Church would stand through all time (Matt.16:18) there must have been Baptist churches all along. The most famous advocate of this perspective was James Milton Carroll (pastor and president of Oklahoma Baptist University and Howard Payne University) who wrote the definitive treatment of this idea in a pamphlet entitled “The Trail of Blood”. The most serious problems for this theory are the highly dubious Landmarkism that undergirds it and the heretical nature of many of the groups identified as proto-Baptists.
[Apostles à Baptists]
Continental Anabaptist Theory: “Baptists are an outgrowth of the Anabaptists which came into being as the left-most fringe of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century in continental Europe.” This view recognizes the similarity between modern Baptists and 16th century Anabaptists (as represented by men such as Balthasar Hubmaier and Menno Simons) in such matters as church government and believer’s baptism. Similarly, it takes serious account of the close temporal connection between the rise of the two groups. However, there are significant differences between mainstream Baptists and historical Anabaptists in terms of both political theory and geographical distribution that makes a simple development from one to the other unlikely.
[Apostles à Classical Church à Catholic Church à Anabaptists à Baptists]
British Separatist Theory: “Baptists are a splinter group that developed in the aftermath of the English Reformation in the 17th century.” This view is based largely on the recorded history of the earliest known self-identifying Baptist church. This congregation was initially led by John Smyth, a former Anglican priest, who had converted to, essentially, Congregationalism. The church fled to the Netherlands to escape persecution and subsequently embraced believer’s baptism as articulated by the Mennonites. Upon Smyth’s death the congregation split with some joining the Mennonites and the rest moving back to England to establish the first Baptist church now known to us.
[Apostles à Classical Church à Catholic Church à Anglicanism à Separatists à Baptists]
Overview of Distinct Beliefs
Biblical Authority: The Bible alone is the final “court of appeals” for matters of theology and religious practice. All other legitimate theological guides must derive from the Bible.
Autonomy of the Local Congregation: Individual local churches are to be self-governed.
Priesthood of All Believers: All Christians, both ordained and lay, have direct access to God through Jesus.
Two Ordinances: The Lord’s Supper and baptism are the only biblically mandated sacraments.
Individual Soul Liberty: Each individual must have faith—as such, coercion in religion is out of order.
Separation of Church and State: The Church and civil authority are distinct institutions of God and ought to retain their independence of one another.
Two Offices: Only the offices of elder (or pastor) and deacon are established in Scripture as enduring positions of leadership within the church and therefore only these offices are to be considered normative.